Five Keys to Keeping Yourself on Track as a Caregiver
Part of being a caregiver involves having a plan for making sure that everything gets handled. A big portion of what needs to be handled is your own self-care and if you’re not paying attention to that you’re going to find yourself off the path.
Caregiver Herndon VA – Five Keys to Keeping Yourself on Track as a CaregiverUse Mindfulness Practices Regularly
Mindfulness covers a lot of ground, but basically these are practices that keep you focused on the moment. Some to consider might include meditation or even deep breathing exercises. You don’t have to become a meditation expert in order to benefit from it. Taking just a few minutes a day to slow your breathing and to clear your mind can make the entire day better.
Watch What You Eat
What you eat matters more than you realize. When you’re putting nutrients into your body that it can use, it’s going to have stores of energy from which to pull. If the food you’re eating is heavily processed or has empty calories, then your body is going to have no energy stores to raid when it needs fuel. Make changes to your diet slowly so you don’t overwhelm yourself with big extremes all at once.
Keep up with Your Health
If your own visits to your doctor have been few and far between, you need to adjust that. Make an appointment with your own doctor and then keep that appointment. This is even more important if you have a family history of serious health issues or if you already have serious health issues. You need a plan in order to manage those sooner rather than later.
Take Respite Time Regularly
Time away from caregiving is vital to your mental and your physical health. If you’re worried about leaving your senior on her own, hire home care providers. They know what it means to take care of an aging senior and they can handle just about any situation you might be facing.
Consider Support Groups
Support groups made up of other caregivers are an excellent source of assistance for you. Other caregivers are aware of exactly what it’s like to be a caregiver and they can share with you how they cope. Pooling your information makes it go that much farther.
All of these keys can work together to keep you functioning the way that you want to as a family caregiver. You don’t have to use all of them, but each of them offers something slightly different that you can find helpful as you face challenges and differing levels of stress.